


A Shot From The Dark

by Marcantony3, Scriberz1980 (Marcantony3)



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Arrow (TV 2012), Game of Thrones (TV), Green Arrow (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Aunt/Nephew Incest, BAMF Jon Snow, Brothels, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, House Targaryen Lives, Implied/Referenced Torture, Inspired partially by Batman Begins, Major Character Injury, R Plus L Equals J, Ramsay Bolton is His Own Warning, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Torture, Vigilantism, Warg Jon Snow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:47:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22431319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marcantony3/pseuds/Marcantony3, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marcantony3/pseuds/Scriberz1980
Summary: Jon has returned to Westeros as a ghost after 5 years in hell with a single goal – to save King’s Landing from itself and stop a sinister plot.He has acquired a unique set of skills and abilities designed to help him be successful, but what happens when the mysteries that he seeks to unravel lead to revelations that could have explosive consequences?House Targaryen survived the rebellion but the King was forever changed by the losses that he suffered and he fully intends for the persons responsible for those loses to pay with fire and blood.The realm is at peace but forces move unchecked in the shadows and threaten the existence of capital and not everyone is willing to remain passive while calamity looms on the horizon.The night is dark and full of terrors but as sure as night follows the day, the flames of justice can scorch even the darkest of shadows from existence. All that is needed is someone to spark the fire to life.
Relationships: Jon Snow & Arya Stark, Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 23
Kudos: 90





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here is my first trip into the land of crossover events. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
> 
> Full credit is due to creators of Game of Thrones, Arrow/Green Arrow and A Song of Ice and Fire worlds and associated characters.
> 
> This work has been inspired in part by New Valyria by Wasteman. Check it out.

**Jon**

The hour of the wolf was fast approaching as Jon regarding the activity on the streets in Flea Bottom. The stench of the corruption that filled the streets was almost matched by the stench from the sewers that spilled onto the streets in Flea Bottom.

During the day everything seemed to be normal, that is if you consider squalor and poverty normal for what was supposed to be a prosperous period in the capital. The level of oppression was worse than he had feared.

He had been warned by his mentor from the Brotherhood of Shadows prior to his arrival in the capital that appearances were not what they seemed in King’s Landing but the levels of suffering he encountered were unbelievable.

Despite numerous reports of peace and prosperity in Westeros there were also disturbing reports of a dark shadow falling over the capital but he could hardly imagine the large divide that had developed between the smallfolk and the nobility in his time away when he had been declared dead after perishing in a violent storm on the high seas.

His fists clenched involuntarily as he recalled the countless starving children that lined the streets and the desperate young mothers that were offering to sell their bodies in order get enough coin to buy food for their families. He moved through those streets during the daytime under the guise of a wandering minstrel and the few coins that he took in from his performances were quickly redistributed to the needy families in the Flea Bottom. His actions had earned him many expressions of gratitude and Jon reaffirmed his vow to take down those corrupt souls that had failed the smallfolk.

The level of poverty in Flea Bottom made little sense to Jon. By all accounts the royal treasury was full yet the struggles of the smallfolk to earn an honest living was a far cry from the lavish dinner parties that took place at frequent intervals in the Red Keep. Jon came to realise that the conditions in the capital were largely ignored by the royal family who, from all reports, were quite happy to live in the lap of luxury while children starved in the shadow of the Red Keep.

Jon made another promise that their time would come once he completed his primary mission but for now he had a small task to complete on that night as he prepared to take the first steps in lifting the heel of oppression from the backs of the smallfolk.

His modified dark fighting gear, courtesy of the Brotherhood, allowed him to easily blend into the shadowy backgrounds that were plentiful during the night in the capital and from his concealed position on the rooftops overlooking the alleys, he took note of all of the seemingly inconspicuous activity that was taking place below him.

His brutal training, trials and tribulations and journeys that he faced over the past 5 years had allowed his warging ability to blossom and he had used this enhanced talent in the preceding weeks to construct his spy network in the capital. All of the creatures in the capital were now a potential source of valuable intel as he drilled closer to the source of the corruption plaguing the capital.

He had already generated a list of less than outstanding citizens that would soon have the pleasure of his company. These individuals, whose names were now seared into his memory, were largely responsible for the conditions that existed in the capital and they would need to be educated on the folly of their ways.

He had concealed his movements from the various little birds that fluttered about the city courtesy of the renowned spymaster Varys and Jon would make sure that he and Varys would have a little chat in the near future regarding the exploitation of the suffering children that he used as his little birds. Jon’s use of actual little birds to watch Varys’ little birds was a source of irony as he gathered information on the eunuch's spy network in King's Landing.

In the weeks that he had been back in the capital he had observed enough to know that nothing good takes place on the streets at night. He knew that House Targaryen still ruled the realm and that they had empowered their small council to do what was required to keep the peace and keep the treasuries full. King Rhaegar was content to let his council run the day to day activities in King’s Landing as he rarely made any appearances in public since his return from a 2 year sabbatical to Essos. Rhaegar then assumed full control of the monarchy that he had allowed his mother, Queen Rhaella to oversee during his sabbatical.

The Queen Mother had exiled herself to Dragonstone after Rhaegar’s return and prior to Jon’s return to Westeros the King’s only daughter had joined her grandmother in isolation on Dragonstone. The reasons for this were unknown even to the Brotherhood. All rumours point to the fallout from Robert’s Rebellion and the general lack of apathy the King displayed as his brother and only son treated the Red Keep as their own personal playground.

The story went that after the failed rebellion King Rhaegar was a depressed soul as he came to grips with the loss of his love, his late wife Lyanna Stark. The loss of the young queen was the second time that he had lost a wife and that last loss was one too many for his spirit to endure. Rhaegar became a broken man after his wife was laid to rest in the Winterfell crypts.

His first wife, Elia Martell, had passed away giving birth to their only son – Aegon and Rhaegar’s melancholy was only broken a year later when he met Lyanna Stark at the infamous tourney at Harenhal. He had been drawn to the young she-wolf, much to the displeasure of both his father – King Aerys and her would be suitor Robert Baratheon.

Jon recalled his lessons with maester Luwin about how the rebellion started when, in the aftermath of Lyanna and Rhaegar disappearing after the tourney, the enraged Brandon Stark was struck down by a member of the Kingsguard after he had attempted to advance on the King after his father was arrested for what Aerys had called a conspiracy of epic proportions against the Crown.

The public execution of the Lord of Winterfell, Rickard Stark, triggered a riot in the capital and sparked the flames of rebellion that spread across Westeros and raged for almost a year. The intensity of the fighting threatened to reduce Westeros to ash and Robert became the symbol of rebellion, publicly and loudly vowing to avenge his fallen brothers from House Stark and free his beloved Lyanna from the clutches of the tyrannical Targaryen dragonspawn.

It took the return of a repentant Prince Rhaegar and a subsequent one on one duel with Robert Baratheon to end the war, after which it was revealed that the he and Lyanna had left several messages for the Starks detailing how they had eloped to a remote region in Dorne to spend their early days of matrimony in solitude. The young naïve couple later discovered that the messages were never delivered and they had remained completely ignorant of the strife that had befallen the realm in their absence. The new Lord of Winterfell, Eddard Stark, agreed to cease hostilities against the Crown after hearing Rhaegar’s tale and reading a letter that his sister had sent telling him about her happiness and imminent motherhood.

In the days that followed the end of the rebellion, Aerys was removed from power after trying to have the Red Keep razed with wildfire and Lord Eddard was sent to retrieve Lyanna, the new Queen of Westeros, from the Tower of Joy.

The Tower of Joy was later renamed the Tower of Gloom as the young queen had perished in childbirth due to lack of skilled maester to supervise the birth of her child. This absence had been caused by a group of bandits that had killed the members of the maester’s caravan destined for the Tower.

The bandits then conducted a brazen attack on the Tower with the aid of enraged smallfolk who sought to loot in the dying embers of the rebellion. The battle was immense and in the aftermath all of the Tower guards, including the Sword of the Morning and his fellow Kingsguard, as well as most of Ned Stark’s company had perished defending the Tower from a party of attackers that was estimated to be more than 100 souls.

The day Lord Eddard returned to the capital with the body of his sister, a tale of a stillborn prince and a recounting of a desperate battle at the Tower was the day the joy finally left the young King Rhaegar. It was rumoured that a chill descended throughout the Red Keep the day Ned Stark returned North with his sister’s body and a bastard son he claimed to have fathered with Ashara Dayne in their shared grief over the loss of Brandon Stark.

Ashara Dayne had locked herself in a vault with Dawn when Eddard had returned it to Starfall and by the time the doors were pried open, lady Ashara had vanished into thin air and Dawn was found embedded in the floor, never to be freed from its stony prison in the years following the rebellion.

It was another year after Lord Eddard had departed the capital before the Rhaegar left Westeros on his 2 year journey, leaving his mother to oversee the affairs of the realm.

All of those events occurred over 20 years ago, the last 5 of which Jon spent in purgatory having his mind and body reshaped into the avenging spirit that sought to save the capital today.

Jon’s thoughts were interrupted as his attention was captured by the sounds of several persons running through the alley below him. He spotted a group of men chasing a solitary figure down a dead end alley. All of his instincts told him that he needed to follow this group and as he leaped across the rooftops he heard the voice of his intended target – Karl Tanner – notorious enforcer for the corrupt Lord Commander of the City Watch – Janos Slynt. Tanner was shouting orders to his band of thugs as they made attempts to capture the man that they had cornered after what appeared to be an intense chase.

Both Tanner and Slynt were relatively small fish in the grand scheme of things but their activities led them to have direct and often time fatal interactions with the innocents that occupy Flea Bottom. This was something that Jon vowed to stop and the events unfolding below him would give him the chance to cross one of the names off of his list.

As he removed his customised ironwood bow from his harness embedded in his combat vest and nocked his first arrow, he took aim at the thugs below and wondered how many he could drop before they realised that they were actually the ones cornered.

Jon delayed releasing his arrows for a moment as he regarded the figure that was now surrounded by Tanner’s crew. This figure was wearing a crude face mask and was gripping a rather large hammer in a manner that gave his pursuers some pause. Tanner was brandishing his famed knives and promising to kill the man painfully unless he gave up someone known as the Waif and return the items that this Waif character stole from his employer.

As Jon followed the back forth between Tanner and the masked man he made a mental note to keep an eye out for this Waif and wondered if the hammer wielding masked man could handle himself. He quickly discounted that line of thought as he took note of the man’s stance and grip on the hammer. He could smell the man’s fear and panic from his spot in the shadows as he descended to street level and observed the men from 100 paces away.

Jon felt that familiar rush of adrenaline course through his veins as he prepared to engage the group of thugs that were closing in on their target and as the first bodies dropped dead from his arrows he knew that his actions on this night would change the dynamic in the capital forever with his first shots from the dark.

**Gendry**

Gendry silently cursed himself for allowing Arya Stark to talk him into her revenge scheme against one of the biggest crooks in the capital - Littlefinger. Arya, or the Waif as she took to calling herself, had returned after 3 years in Braavos with some amazing skills and a pledge to take down Littlefinger who, in her mind, was the root of all evil in the Westeros. He remembered the day she came into his shop on the Street of Steel and placed an order for a customised staff. He should have known that girl was going to be trouble from the first moment she smiled at him while brandishing a slender blade with a bit too much comfort for Gendry’s liking, but he quickly found that was a sucker for the smile of Arya Stark and the word ‘no’ was no longer a part of his vocabulary.

The Waif’s current mission was to disrupt the movement of stolen goods that was being funnelled through the brothels run by Littlefinger. Arya had gone undercover in one of the brothels and managed to obtain a list of upcoming shipments but in her haste to flee the scene she inadvertently led a group of Janos Slynt’s thugs right to their rendezvous point.

It was pure bad luck that on the night the Waif made her move to grab the documents from the brothel’s unsuspecting bookkeeper that Tanner’s crew had turned up to sample the wares on offer at the brothel and all hell broke loose when the bound and gagged bookkeeper was found in the backroom and muttered the name Waif as he was released from his bonds.

That was how Gendry found himself donning this ridiculous mask and leading her pursuers on a merry chase through the streets of Flea Bottom as he allowed Arya to escape undetected with the documents after breaking through a wall with his custom war hammer.

Now he was facing down the vile Karl Tanner and as his man parts were now being threatened unless he gave up the Waif. His fear grew as he realised that the Waif was now known to these thugs and prepared himself to take Arya’s secret to the grave. He cursed himself again for allowing himself to be herded down a dead end alley. As a resident of Flea Bottom he should have been more aware of the path he was taking, but the fear of being skinned alive caused him to abandon his senses and run around like a stabbed rat.

As he tightened the grip on his hammer and prepared to swing at his opponents he heard a faint whistle and felt 3 ripples of air rush past his head.

Three of Tanner’s accomplices that had moved behind him had dropped dead with arrows sticking out of their skulls.

In the next moment Gendry saw the rest of Tanner’s crew fall as a hooded figure clad in all black effortlessly dispatched the remaining thugs with a combination of brutal strikes and deadly swings of a sword that appeared to be an expertly crafted valyrian steel short sword. Tanner was left as the last man standing and for a moment he appeared poised to take down the hooded figure from behind but in a flash Tanner was on his knees screaming in agony as the hooded figure impaled Tanner’s hands with 2 arrows using a bow that seemingly appeared out of thin air.

This hooded figure circled Tanner like a predator stalking his prey and Gendry suddenly realised that he was now all alone in a dark alley with a person who just took out some of the most feared enforcers in Flea Bottom like it was child’s play. He contemplated making a break for the end of the alley but the hooded figure regarded him for a moment as if reading his thoughts and that glance was enough to freeze Gendry in his tracks. The hooded man approached Tanner and with a deep, harsh voice that had Gendry shaking in his boots, called out a list of crimes that Tanner had committed and asked if he had any regrets for his actions. Tanner responded with a set of pitiful curses and before Gendry could ponder the stupidity of the man, the hooded figure descended on Tanner with lightning speed and effortlessly snapped his neck.

The snapping of bones broke Gendry out of his daze and he realised that the hooded figure was now approaching him. The hooded man then shook him to his core when he referred to him by his full name.

“Gendry Waters” he said “Perhaps you should leave the vigilante work to other people and stick to your forge."

"That hammer you carry is too distinctive for you to move around as a masked avenger. Slynt’s men would track you down and end your life just like your former master – Tobho Mott”.

Gendry recalled that his former master had mysteriously vanished after trying to collect money owed to him from the City Watch by directly confronting Slynt at the gates of the Red Keep. Mott’s body was never found and Gendry suddenly became the owner of the forge that supplied the weapons for the city guards.

Gendry felt as if the hooded man was carefully examining his facial features and suddenly felt exposed even though his face was still covered. He began to reply to the hooded figure.

“How do you know my name? How do you know what happened to Tobho?” he asked, not bothering to deny the truth of his identity lest he found himself with an arrow in the chest.

“I know enough to know that you are one of few decent people in this city willing to take a stand” the hooded man replied. “You have courage but you need training if you want to take down the Karl Tanners of this city.”

The hooded figure turned his back on Gendry and moved to the side of the alley before speaking again. “A patrol of gold cloaks will be coming along soon. You should leave here before they cut you down with the swords that you made for them.”

Gendry took a moment to take in the carnage that was left in the alley around him and as he turned back to thank his saviour he realised that he was now the only living body in the alley.

The hooded figure had vanished into thin air.

Gendry swiftly made his way from the alley and returned to his shop to discard his gear and as his heart threatened to burst from his chest as he replayed the events that had just unfolded.

The only words that left his mouth as he settled onto his sleeping cot after downing multiple cups of ale were a string of curses and a vow to stay away from girls named Arya Stark.  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Arya and Daenerys for the first time and see why the good guys wear masks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read this story so far.   
> Enjoy the chapter!

_**Arya POV** _

The plan had gone to the seven hells. What was supposed to be a relatively simple mission had blown up in her face and to make matters worse she got her new friend, and reluctant partner in crime, in hot water in the same night.

She had drafted a hesitant Gendry into action as her unofficial sidekick. His job was to take possession of the documents she retrieved from Littlefinger’s office in his primary brothel and stow them away at his shop so that they could meet up the next day and pick them apart. She had not counted on Tanner’s crew of thugs to track her down to her meeting point with Gendry and certainly hadn’t counted on Gendry volunteering to lead them on a wild goose chase so that she could get away. She hoped that Gendry had survived if only so that she could kill him for being a stupid, incredibly brave fool.

Tanner’s goons hadn’t realised that she was still inside the building when Gendry led them away. That fact allowed her to be able to slip into the shadows and make her way to her rooms in the Red Keep unseen, still in possession of the documents that she removed from the brothel.

It was well past the hour of the wolf when she collapsed into her bed. Her mind ablaze with visions of her friend dead or dying in an alley somewhere in Flea Bottom, all because she failed to consider the possibility that Flea Bottom’s resident thugs would actually show up in a brothel instead of their doing their usual routine of harassing the small folk. She endured a sleepless night while her mind came to the realisation that Littlefinger’s network was larger than she could have anticipated.

The chances of Tanner’s crew – the enforcers for Janos Slynt- showing up in force at the one brothel that she had targeted and on the same night that she made her move against Littlefinger were extremely low. Yet, that is what transpired.

During her observations of Littlefinger’s operations there was no evidence that Slynt’s goons had any significant interactions with Littlefinger’s people apart from collecting the occasional payment from delinquent patrons of the brothels on the outskirts of Flea Bottom.

Littlefinger usually had his own men to take care of debt collections and so it had appeared that Littlefinger and Slynt were operating in completely different worlds. That oversight cost her dearly.

She had assumed the guise of Waif to protect her own identity as well as that of family’s. The ability to adopt another persona was a skill she had acquired from her time as a mummer in a travelling performing troupe.

Her days during her time in Braavos were spent secretly training with former first sword of Braavos – Syrio Forrel, honing all of her senses as was the way with Water Dancing. Her nights were spent on stage portraying many faces as part of her craft to become someone else. All of that time leading the rebirth of Arya Stark, dutiful daughter of the warden of the North and her current disguise – the Waif – agent of retribution.

Her guise as Waif was carefully constructed, right down to her blonde wig, to avoid any connection between Ned Stark’s daughter and this mysterious vigilante that, after her less than conspicuous debut, would be found to have a personal vendetta against Littlefinger.

Anyone who knew Arya before her departure for Braavos would have said that her trip was just a reflection of her wild and adventurous spirit, but only her siblings knew that she had a beef against Littlefinger.

The schemer, who was never seen without his patented mockingbird pin, had swindled the family of one of her childhood friends – Hot Pie – out of their family run bakery in White Harbour and later converted the business into a brothel. Her ire against Littlefinger was only increased when her sister Sansa revealed that one her friends – Jeyne Poole – had mysteriously vanished during a trip to White Harbour and was later discovered by family ward – Theon Greyjoy – working in the same brothel many months later.

Jeyne’s family was outraged and asked Ned Stark to intervene but Littlefinger spun a grand tale that Jeyne’s betrothed – Ramsay Bolton – had built up a massive debt in one of his establishments and Jeyne had agreed to work for Littlefinger to help clear off the debt.

Arya who knew Jeyne knew that tale was a load of nonsense. Jeyne was too much of lady like Sansa to willingly step foot inside a brothel. Sansa knew it was a load of nonsense as well and the sisters had presented their concerns to their parents but their mother had convinced their father not to take action against her childhood friend. Her mother was adamant that her ‘little’ Petyr was not the sort of person to hold someone against their will and so, with no real evidence against him, Littlefinger escaped any sort of punishment. He did however have to let Jeyne return home, but the damage was already done.

It was clear that Jeyne was traumatised from her experiences but she never spoke a word about her time in the brothel. On more than one occasion Jon and Robb, who had always regarded Jeyne as another sister, had to intervene when some of the men in Wintertown took to soliciting Jeyne when she was out for running errands. Theon had also taken an interest in Jeyne and was constantly pursuing her now that her former betrothed, who claimed ignorance to what Jeyne was doing, had cut all ties with Jeyne. His repeated lewd comments about her time in the brothel had led to a massive fallout between him and Jon with Theon receiving a broken nose for his trouble.

As time passed Jeyne eventually came out of her shell but when Jon went missing after a trip with Theon and Robb to Essos, she along with the rest of the family went into a state of depression. Jeyne never came out of her depression and eventually joined the silent sisters to atone for her perceived sins. Arya vowed on the day Jeyne left for the South that she would do all she could to avenge Jeyne’s plight.

Arya left for Braavos as part of King Rhaegar’s cultural exchange program that was created to increase goodwill between Essos and Westeros. Arya had signed up for a year but ended up staying for 3 years much to the chagrin of her mother. Her father allowed for her extended stay, indicating that she was too much like her Aunt Lyanna to be forced to abandon a path that made her happy.

Arya’s recollection of her time in Braavos was interrupted by a gentle nudge at her thigh as she sat on the edge of her bed. Her faithful companion, Nymeria, had come south with her to King’s Landing along with her own constant shadow Ghost. Ghost’s appearance was a surprise to the family as the silent white wolf hadn’t left Winterfell since Jon disappeared over 5 years ago and when he turned up at Nymeria’s side and refused to be left behind in the North, there was little to be done but to allow him to make the journey with the Stark party.

“I’m ok girl” said Arya. “How about we go on an adventure today?”

Nymeria took a glance at Ghost and Arya could have sworn that Ghost nodded his head before both of the wolves made their way to the door and sat down waiting for Arya to change into her day clothes. Arya had intended to use her direwolf’s superior tracking ability to find Gendry if he was really missing and the addition of Ghost to her mission was an added layer of security that she appreciated as they trio of wolves made their way to Gendry’s shop and the people in the streets gave her plenty of room to move about.

As she approached the front door to the shop, she heard a pair of voices in deep conversation, one of them was Gendry much to her relief, but the other voice was foreign yet familiar at the same time. The conversation sounded friendly so she deduced that Gendry definitely wasn’t in trouble but as she tightened her grip on Needle and cautiously approached the door to see who the second voice belonged too, she prepared herself to jump into action if required.

What she found when she gazed upon the owner of the other voice was a set of grey eyes that were so similar to her own that for a moment she found herself back at Winterfell as a small child in happier times with her favourite big brother.

She wanted to scream the name that was caught at the tip of her tongue but her voice betrayed her and all she was able to do was whisper the name of the person she had only dared dream would come back into her life.

“Jon…?”

A huge smile appeared on her face as she found herself wrapped up in warm and tight embrace as a pair of strong arms lifted her off the floor.

“Arya?” the voice asked. “How are you here right now little sister?”

It took Arya a moment to realise that she was sobbing onto Jon’s collar and hadn’t responded to his question before they found themselves tangled in a ball of direwolf fur as Ghost and Nymeria interrupted her emotional reunion with Jon to make their presence known.

Time seemed to stand still as Arya separated herself from the wolf pile and regarded Jon’s face for the first time in over 5 years. It was so different, yet familiar at the same time.

For that moment in time she had no worries or nightmares. For that moment she was safe and secure in the arms of her big brother. For that brief moment all was right in the world again.

“I missed you” both she and Jon said at the same time which caused her to remember that in so many ways Jon was almost like her twin with how similar they were in both thoughts and actions. They both laughed at their simultaneous speech.

“So I take it that you 2 know each other?” asked Gendry with a small chuckle.

Arya regarded Gendry for a moment, completely forgetting the main purpose for her visit.

“Aye” she said. “My big brother has found his way back home”

_**Daenerys POV** _

Daenerys found herself mindlessly pushing food around on her plate a she casually glanced around at the occupants of the great hall as another wasteful feast unfolded. During her time growing up on Dragonstone with her mother she had often dreamed of attending lavish feasts befitting her status as princess. She had never understood why her mother limited her time in the Red Keep as a child and was often jealous of her brothers as tales of the numerous banquets reached her ears from visitors who came seeking her mother’s advice on various matters.

When her niece Rhaenys, who had suddenly come to live with them a few years ago, had revealed the extent of wastefulness and callous nature of her brothers she was disbelieving. When her mother confirmed the truth about the royal court and their disregard for the suffering in the capital she felt as if her entire world had imploded. That sort of behaviour was not how true royals were supposed to adopt.

She had convinced her mother to let her spend time in the capital to experience the truths for herself and when she and her best friend and language tutor Missandei established their daily routines in the Red Keep she used that time to conduct her own investigations. Her secret trips to Flea Bottom had opened her eyes to extent of suffering that her mother had mentioned and she vowed to do all that she could to help correct the problem.

During her early months she had been approached by a Red Priestess, who had an uncanny foresight into her quest. This Red Priestess, Melisandre, would become her mentor and through her teachings and guidance gave her the tools needed to achieve her goals.

Under the guise of a septa, Daenerys had covertly gone about delivering food and comfort to the smallfolk. This food had been expertly diverted by Missandei and some sympathetic folks in the kitchens of the Red Keep and had gone a long way to helping many families. She had also been grateful that some of Melisandre’s lessons had been related to combat, as the lessons she received from another Red Priest – Thoros – had given enough fighting skills to successfully dissuade bandits who sought to relieve her of her care packages. The daggers concealed in her robes, that she had come to prefer as her weapons of choice, were used leave a permanent reminder on the consequences of stealing on the forehead of one of the bandits. Daenerys chuckled to herself as she remembered the cautionary tales that were soon spread about the septa that carves the Seven Pointed Star into anyone who tried to accost her. Her works as a septa went unmolested after that incident.

After that incident she realised that she needed to do more. All of the food deliveries would mean nothing if the conditions that created starvations scenarios were not addressed.

During her activities outside the Red Keep she had come to know about a character known as the High Sparrow. This humble man was an advocate for equality and constantly called for the nobility to do more to help the smallfolk. His sermons had attracted huge following and the people were actually starting to listen and push back against their oppressors. A group calling themselves the Poor Fellows had begun targeting businesses that opposed the High Sparrow and ‘liberated’ supplies from these establishments to distribute to the needy. The High Sparrow became a visible symbol that inspired the smallfolk to do better.

That is until he became another type of symbol. A symbol that crushed the spirits of the few who were trying to achieve change.

The High Sparrow’s body was found hung on a cross, partially flayed and with the words ‘For the Stranger’ carved into his chest. Some took it as a sign that resisting the established order was useless. Daenerys knew better. The execution of the High Sparrow was a calculated act by those who stood to lose if their resources were used on the smallfolk. They had definitely been rattled by what the man had inspired and took a stand.

After that day she opened her eyes to true divide between her family and the people that they were supposed to protect. Her brothers didn’t seem to share her concerns about the suffering of the small folk – Viserys had laughed at her and called the smallfolk sheep that should be grateful to live in the greatest city in Westeros. Rhaegar had looked at her as if she had lost her mind when she asked about investigating the death of the High Sparrow and told her that everything was as it should be. Her mother had told her that Rhaegar was an apathetic stranger who cared little about persons outside of the family but she hadn’t truly believed that until Rhaegar had essentially dismissed her concerns without a second thought.

Melisandre had been the only one to help keep her sanity intact and so she began to formulate a new plan to achieve her goals. Publically, as a princess, she could only do so much to help without the full backing of the crown and her work as a septa was not enough. She pondered what could be done to build upon the movement that had been sparked by the late High Sparrow.

Her as her musings were interrupted by peals of laughter coming from the table where members of House Stark were situated. The only small consolation in her mind about the feast was that it was actually for a good cause – the return of Ned Stark’s long lost son – Jon Snow. The man had appeared in the capital, apparently risen from the dead and Rhaegar had called for a feast to celebrate the good fortune of the Starks’.

Lord Stark and his family had actually been in the capital for the first time since Jon’s disappearance to hold talks regarding the North’s lucrative trade deals with Braavos that had become a bone of contention for the master of coin – Petyr Baelish. He had argued that the North should contribute more taxes to the coffers of the Crown in light of their increased revenue from the trade deals. Lord Stark had refused the request and cited that the trade deals were only down to House Stark making peace with the Free Folk beyond the Wall. A peace that led to joint explorations between the rangers of the Night’s Watch and the Free Folk scouts which led to the discovery of caves containing precious gems highly sought after in Essos. This, combined with the ability to safely harvest various timbers from the forest areas beyond the Wall, brought extra income to the North as the timber was also a precious commodity in Essos due to its widespread use in construction and firewood. The benefits of the increased trade with Braavos yielded benefits for people on both sides of the Wall and had attracted the greedy eyes of the small council towards the North. King Rhaegar had ultimately intervened in the stalemate and invited Lord Stark to come to the capital and present his case.

As the laughter continued at the Stark table, Daenerys took the opportunity to study the mystery that was Jon Snow. She noted that he was certainly an attractive face and appeared to carry himself with a quiet confidence that suited his overall demeanour.

‘Not bad for a ghost’ she thought to herself.

She found herself comparing him to her nephew Aegon, a man who was also considered physically attractive but was always preening for attention wherever he went. She had a feeling that if Jon wasn’t a Snow he would cause just as much havoc amongst the noble ladies of Westeros as her nephew had done. The crown prince was a notorious womaniser and had been rumoured to have plucked the flowers of many noble daughters much to the annoyance of his father who found himself having to placate many aggrieved fathers.

She regarded Aegon’s wistful glances at the Stark table towards his latest target – Arya Stark. The youngest daughter of Lord Stark had caught her nephew’s wandering eye and despite his best efforts Arya had rebuffed all of Aegon’s attempts to entice the she-wolf of Winterfell. Her nephew had never met a lady that could resist him and his frustrations were a source of amusement for both herself and Viserys who took to teasing Aegon about losing his touch. She took a glance at Rhaegar and noticed with disbelief that he too was casting wistful glances at the Stark table, seemingly in the direction of Arya as well. She carefully followed his gaze and noted that he was actually regarding the figure seated next to her – Jon Snow.

Seeing Arya and Jon side by side it struck her that they could easily pass for twins if they were the same age and it was at that moment when she realised that Rhaegar was actually looking at Jon. Astonishingly, she saw a small smile appear on the King’s usually expressionless face. She made a note to herself to uncover what it was about Jon Snow that could bring the King to display such a joyful expression. Once she had made enough headway with the deliveries of food that would miraculously make it from the feast tonight to the tables of the starving folk in Flea Bottom she would develop a plan to make Jon Snow her person of interest.

As she regarded the calculating glance that Lord Baelish was casting at the Starks she took note of his ridiculous mockingbird pin and then it struck her. She knew what she would need to do to truly affect change.

The Sparrow would take flight again and this time be a symbol of whose actions spoke louder than words. Daenerys then found herself glancing at Jon again as her mind started to consider how to engineer the debut of Flea Bottom’s newest angel of mercy.

‘Perhaps something in white since that colour is a symbol of hope and new beginnings’ she thought as an image of her newest guise took shape.

An image of a white sparrow formed in her mind. It has been said that when a person sees a white sparrow that the next wish they make will come true. Some people say that white sparrows carry the souls of the dead.

‘That is perfect’ she concluded to herself.

Daenerys settled on her guise. She will embrace the spirit of the late High Sparrow and continue what he started. She will fulfil the wishes of the smallfolk who seek a better life by doing what is right. She will be the symbol for hope that was needed. She just needed a few things from Melisandre before she can make her debut.

As the feast wound down and Aegon continued to drown his sorrows in goblets of Dornish Red, she found herself at peace for the first time in a long time, not noticing a set of grey eyes looking at her from across the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon gets an unexpected invitation and begins to lay his trap for Slynt.  
> Welcome to the Red Keep Jon Snow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again. Here is another chapter for you to enjoy. This is the last set-up chapter before the action kicks off.

** JON POV **

Out of all of the places in Westeros, Gendry’s shop was the last place Jon had expected to reunite with his little sister.

He had gone to Gendry’s shop under the guise of purchasing some items for his daytime venture - an apothecary shop catering to the smallfolk - but he had really wanted to follow up on Gendry’s wellbeing from the previous night’s adventure. He had scouted Gendry’s shop in prior weeks under one of his disguises and discovered that the man knew his way around a forge. The quality of Gendry’s work was well known throughout the capital. 

Having Gendry work on his items would serve a double purpose – it would allow Jon to keep an eye on Gendry and hopefully keep him out of trouble and just as important, Gendry’s superior craftsmanship would ensure that Jon’s items would be high quality. The items that Jon needed had to be well made as they would serve both his daytime and night-time activities and so he ventured into Gendry’s shop as a prospective buyer. Of course that initial plan was disrupted when Gendry had an unexpected visitor.

Jon had felt the presence of both Ghost and Nymeria in the capital but he hadn’t counted on them showing up at Arya’s side in the Street of Steel and when he set eyes on her for the first time in what felt like an eternity he felt all of the old emotions that he had locked away for the past few years return with a vengeance. 

Arya had all but dragged him by his ears back to the Red Keep and into her quarters at the Red Keep, attracting the attention of everyone in the Keep that day. She was alternating between hugging him and punching him as she sought to find out what happened to him for the past 5 years. 

He had started to recount the tales from when he got lost at sea, when Lord Stark burst into the room and, after a moment’s hesitation, all but crushed his ribs in a massive hug. The King had turned up a few moments later with his Small Council and after a brief discussion, insisted on celebrating the miracle of Jon’s return with a feast to honour the good fortune of House Stark. Jon had noticed that the King was looking at him in a strange manner then and at the feast that he had suffered through 2 nights later. If it wasn’t for Arya’s presence at this side during the feast he would have left earlier than protocol would have dictated. The lavish spread that was offered for the feast was wasted on him and he thought of the numerous suffering people in the capital that could make better use of the food that was being wasted that night. He desperately wanted to leave and take out his frustrations on some unfortunate persons on his list that needed to be reminded that a new style of justice was in effect in the capital. Instead he had to bide his time until the feast ended.

It was strange for Jon to be the center of attention. Growing up he was often farthest from the spotlight when it came to fancy feasts, so now with so many eyes on him, including for some strange reason Princess Daenerys, it was definitely a peculiar sensation. Tales of her beauty were certainly not exaggerated and her subtle looks in his direction were tinted with something more than mere curiosity. Jon was intrigued but knew it was for naught as even though he was at the Stark table next to his father and sister, he was not a Stark. 

‘Prince Aegon would have better chance marrying Arya than a Snow would have even being in the same room as a princess’ he mused to himself. ‘Regardless, with my list there is no time for any of that stuff’ he concluded.

He hadn’t planned on being in the Red Keep so soon into his mission, but the current circumstances were most fortuitous for him. The wonderful thing about being a Snow was that few people gave him a second glance as he wandered around the halls. That and having Ghost at his side also helped him to move around relatively unbothered. His training with the Brotherhood allowed him to use all of his senses to find the truth in any situation and get in and out of rooms undetected. The weeks after the feast that Jon spent in the Red Keep, at the insistence of his father, allowed Jon to confirm that the corruption plaguing the capital was allowed to fester through the inactions of those responsible for ruling. The princes were arrogant bigots and cared little for anything other than what would make them happy. The Hand of the King was oblivious to anything that didn’t directly involve the King and the King was as uncaring and detached from the outside world as the reports provided by the Brotherhood had indicated. The other members of the Small Council were ineffective and all of them had secrets. Secrets that they didn’t even know they were sharing with Jon. 

The Brotherhood had provided Jon with many pieces of information on King’s Landing and its buildings, including the location and access points for the infamous secret passages. Jon made use of the hidden passageways inside the Red Keep to move around freely and also to keep Varys’ little birds off his trail. Varys’ little birds were undoubtedly trying to gather information related to Jon Snow and his miraculous reappearance, but the man would find nothing other than a tale of another dour Northerner. 

During his reconnaissance Jon had discovered that Littlefinger was the one giving Slynt his instructions. Baelish was using his position as Master of Coin to influence the operations of the City Watch via Slynt. Baelish’s many meetings with Slynt, official and unofficial, had revealed to Jon that neither men were comfortable with the recent turn of events in the capital. Slynt and Littlefinger had many heated discussions about the City Watch’s failure to capture this mysterious Waif, who was becoming an increasing threat to Littlefinger’s enterprises. Slynt wanted more men and money to make everything secure and Littlefinger accused Slynt of being incompetent and demanded he personally handle matters in the future. 

Jon also learned that in the weeks he spent in the Keep, another mysterious figure had emerged on the scene and was starting to disrupt the operations of many of Baelish’s shadier associates. This new person wasn’t as fixated on Littlefinger as the Waif was, but their activities spoke to someone with the skills and the smarts to disrupt the criminal element and inspire the smallfolk to be more proactive in their opposition to the oppressive forces in the capital. Baelish told Slynt that perhaps a new Lord Commander would have more success if he wasn’t able to protect their interests. Slynt gave off an air of desperation as he promised to personally safeguard the assets of Baelish and his associates.

Slynt’s increasing desperation was in part due to Jon’s increased efforts taking down Slynt’s network. Jon continued to cross more names of his list as he tightened the net around Slynt. He knew that if he applied enough pressure then Slynt would expose himself and sure enough Slynt had finally put his own neck on the line. 

Jon knew the other vigilantes in the city added to Slynt’s desperation but they were taking too many risks with their actions and someone like Baelish would retaliate violently if Slynt continued to be ineffective. He decided to let his helpers go unchecked, for now. They were making his job a bit easier as he could stay in the shadows and from the nature of Slynt’s and Baelish’s conversations, all of the persons that Jon crossed off his list would be linked to them. They were rattling Littlefinger’s cage and threatening his wealth and credibility. Sooner or later Littlefinger would get desperate and make a mistake. Jon would be waiting to say hello when he does.

Jon balanced out his activities during the day with spending time setting up his shop, which doubled as his primary lair, and spending time with his family. He jokingly asked Arya if she had ever used Needle and when she replied ‘Once or twice’ he knew there were was more to that than she was letting on. Indeed after following her one morning, he discovered her going through her Water Dancing stances and sequences he realised that she was more than capable of sticking people with the pointy end. He had allowed Arya to convince him into sparring with her and, even though he was forcing himself to conceal his own abilities, lest any observers learn something they shouldn’t, he found himself pleasantly surprised by Arya’s skill level and force of her strikes. He even received a few bruises for his efforts when he teased her about Aegon’s interest in her. He pitied any guy that would seek to court her in the future. If she had her way Jon was sure that Arya would only consent to marriage if the person could beat her in a spar on a daily basis. 

The situation with Jon’s father was also a strange one. His father had almost abandoned his negotiations with the Crown to spend as much time as possible with him. It was as if Lord Stark feared that he would disappear as soon as he turned his back and Jon had to assure him that he would stay with them as long as they were in the capital. It was only after his father made him promise to not disappear that the negotiations resumed.

Daenerys was also a mystery that he spent time trying to solve, something he came to realise that she was doing to him as well. He had briefly wondered if his being a Snow was a problem that she was trying to remove from her home but after observing her with the staff and noting her aversion to all things Aegon and Viserys related, he came to realise that perhaps her intentions were not as devious as he had feared. He had discovered that Daenerys was also a frequent user of the Red Keep’s secret passages and he noted that she would often disappear into them at night. He made a note to follow her eventually, but his own night-time activities took priority until then.

With his apothecary offering virtually free aid for the poor people in the capital, Jon Snow became an enigma for some, an oddity for others and for others a source of frustration. Some persons even accused him of running a scam on his family. He recalled that Littlefinger had privately offered Jon some time in his best brothel, free of charge and of course under an assumed identity, to get the blood flowing again after his time away. Jon knew what Littlefinger really wanted was to leverage him into being an inside man on Lord Stark’s negotiations. Being a bastard person’s often assumed his loyalty could be bought and so he pretended to humour the man and spent some time in the place.

The time in the brothel was surprisingly productive for Jon as he as able to collect valuable intel on the nobility that frequented the place and, with the aid of some of the most expensive wine on the menu, Jon was able to have many enlightening conversations with the now loose lipped nobility that he took to befriending. The generous sharing of wine also helped to distract the ladies of the night long enough to leave him in peace. 

He had traced shipments coming to Baelish’s brothels back to their drop off point at Blackwater Bay and after following Slynt he found how the shipments were passing into the capital undetected. Now, almost 2 months after taking done Tanner, he was ready to have a pointed conversation with Slynt. Slynt and his forces may have been looking for the other vigilantes but shortly Slynt would find that he was the one that had been pursued. Slynt would find no Waif or anyone else but he would find something else.

As a public figure Jon Snow would be someone that brought relief to the unfortunate souls in the capital but as a phantom he would bring retribution to those who caused that misfortune. As a man Jon Snow would occasionally be bested by his little sister in a spar, but as a phantom the true extent of his abilities would be unleashed on all who stood in his way. He would leave none standing in his quest to save the city. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder why the King was looking at Jon so strangely?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janos Slynt meets a phantom and another mystery is begins

**JANOS POV**

Janos cursed the name of Petyr Baelish once again as another cold breeze rolled in off the sea and hit his face. He was now a glorified watchman, overseeing the movement of Baelish’s cargo from the small row boats that were bringing the goods into the cove that he was now patrolling.

He hadn’t done so much legwork in years, not since he rose to the post of Lord Commander. Now, however, the situation with those damn vigilantes had forced him to abandon his bed at night and personally oversee the security of the precious cargo. Baelish had some scary clients and he would rather not have them knocking on his door looking for their property.

In the recent weeks he had found that his trusted lieutenants had mysteriously vanished from the city and not even Varys could find out what happened. That fact disturbed him more than he let on and so he didn’t bother to investigate any further and as a consequence he now found himself on the beach at night, in full fighting gear, providing his personal brand of protection to this latest shipment. Slynt made sure that no other patrols would come upon this cove until the transportation of the cargo was completed.

‘Being Lord Commander does have its benefits’ he mused to himself as the workers moved the goods from the shore and into crates that would be carried to their final destinations.

Slynt had also arranged for some of his unofficial City Guards to secure the beach and keep it protected in case they had unwelcome visitors. He was confident that, as Lord Commander, no-one would dare make a move against anything that he was personally overseeing.

The isolated cove where he was now getting his bones chilled was a haven for smugglers over the years. They used it to move items in and out of the city and it had enough cover to keep it concealed from prying eyes. It also had the added benefit of having a single access point that could be easily guarded to in so doing prevent anyone from sneaking up on their current operation. Janos had thought himself clever to use this spot, even if he was being forced to endure the heavy chill of the night air. The beach was dimly lighted by torches and the men knew enough to work silently so as to avoid any unwanted attention. The only sounds that could be heard were the shuffling of feet on the sand, the flickering of the flames on the torches and the occasional knocking of wood on wood as the crates were loaded. That was all that could be heard until something started to whistle though the air.

Janos thoughts were interrupted when he heard the faint whistling sound. For a moment he thought it was the wind playing tricks on his ears but as the torches that were illuminating the beach went out one by one, he suddenly realised that it was actually something else. Janos world was suddenly plunged into darkness as he couldn’t see anything beyond a few paces in front of him as the torches at his back were the only ones still lit. He couldn’t see much but he could hear everything.

He heard the sounds of blades being drawn, frantic footfalls on the sand and the terrified screams of his men. They were screaming in agony as the whistling sounds continued and the sound of dull thuds mixed in with the yells. Janos recognised that his men were being struck down by arrows. Arrows that were seemingly being fired from everywhere at once by an unseen force.

The whistling sounds faded but they were soon replaced by the clashing of swords as the skirmish got closer to his location. Janos could hear the men closer to his position falling as the air was now filled with the sounds of flesh being sliced open. bones being broken and bodies hitting the ground hard.

Janos was frozen to his spot as the last body fell just inside his field of vision. A look of sheer terror frozen on the man's face as he laid dead on the beach.

Janos hadn’t even remembered that he had a sword that he could use to defend himself. He forgot that he was wearing armor and suddenly felt very exposed. He decided it was time to call for back-up and started to retreat from the beach.

He began to make a run towards the hidden stairway leading up the cliff, fully intent on rousing support from the nearest City Watch barracks until he felt pain in both of his legs. He found himself falling to the ground before he could reach the stairs. He tried to drag himself to his feet but stumbled once more before he realised that he had been shot by arrows.

Janos was suddenly regretting leaving his home on that night. As he rolled onto his back and stared into the darkness, the last thing he saw before passing out from the pain was a dark, ominous figure approaching him with a bloody sword drawn. He was certain he would have nightmares about that image as he drifted off to sleep.

**JON POV**

Jon stared down at the prone figure of Slynt and found himself shaking his head in disappointment. The man was wearing some of the finest armour in the city and had one of the better made swords Jon had seen in the city, probably straight from Gendry’s forge, but was clearly incapable of using them. A coward to the core.

Jon gave Slynt credit for wisely guarding the sole access point to the cove, but for a man of Jon’s skills there would always be other ways to reach his destination. He made use of the cliff face to lower himself down to the ground and waited in the shadows to spring his trap. Slynt and his men never knew what hit them when he attacked them.

As Jon methodically searched Slynt and emptied his pockets, he began to ponder on what he had seen that night. He knew from his prior surveillance activities that the shipments that came into the city normally went straight to businesses owned by Baelish, but tonight some of the crates were being sent to another location with no apparent connection to Baelish.

Jon needed answers. It was time to rouse Slynt from his slumber.

Jon grabbed one of the arrows lodged in Slynt’s leg and twisted it. The pain woke Slynt with a jolt and a yell escaped the man's lips as he returned to consciousness. Jon could see the confusion etched on Slynt’s face as he struggled to recall what was happening. Jon decided to help Slynt with his memory and slowly stepped towards Slynt and stood over him. Jon knew that his all black outfit, complimented with a hood and a menacing face mask, was an imposing sight. His attire ensured that all anyone could see when they looked at him would be the darkness of his eyes and that was usually enough to break most men. Jon saw the moment that Slynt recognised the position he was in and the accompanying scent of fear filled the air.

He saw Slynt begin to panic as he realised that he was tied down on the beach right on the edge of the incoming tide.

“Who are you? What do you think you’re doing?” Slynt said with a shaky voice.

Jon remained unmoved and began to draw his bow and nock an arrow.

“Do you know who I am? Release me at once!” Slynt added with an increased fear in his voice.

Jon fired an arrow into Slynt’s shoulder and replied “A dead man.”

“How quickly you die is up to you”

“I’m the Lord Commander of the City Watch! You can’t kill me! I’m an important man! Kill me and my men will hunt you down and make an example of you!” Janos added with what Jon assumed was supposed to be a commanding tone.

Jon fired another arrow and struck Slynt in the other shoulder.

“Janos Slynt. You have abused your position and allowed countless crimes against the smallfolk to go without delivering them any justice.”

“You and your thugs have brought pain and suffering to countless souls.”

“It ends tonight!” Jon stated with an ice cold tone.

“What have I ever done to you?” Slynt cried.

“You have failed this city!” Jon replied emphatically.

“You don’t need to do this.” Slynt stammered. “I have information about the men that are responsible for all those crimes! Release me and I can give it to you!”

Jon paused for a moment and wondered if Slynt could truly have such evidence. However he needed other information first and tucked his bow away.

“You only sent some of the crates to the brothels owned by Baelish. The shipments to Visenya’s Hill… who are they for?” he asked, emphasising the last few words.

“I don’t know…I …I swear!” Slynt stuttered out. “I swear on the Seven that I know”

Jon did not believe in the Seven and knew men like Baelish took advantage of many people who chose to rely on that faith. He drew his sword and pressed the tip against Slynt’s groin before growling out.

“Don’t swear to the Seven! Swear to Me!”

Slynt let out a stifled scream as Jon applied more pressure to the sword and caused the tip to bite into Slynt’s skin, drawing blood from his body once again.

“I do…I will….The man you want is Baelish. Petyr Baelish.” Slynt stammered.

“He is the one that is responsible for everything! He has a contact with a rich, anonymous client that pays well for deliveries to be made to Visenya’s Hill.” He added.

“I just make sure the shipments are dropped off, collect the money and pass it on to Baelish. Baelish never mentioned any names but whoever it is makes Baelish nervous!” Slynt exclaimed. 

Jon withdrew his sword and Janos took it as sign to keep talking.

“Baelish brings in all sorts of things, including people. Let me live and I can help you take him down. I can say that I was injured by the vigilantes and their men. Baelish will never know about you once I spin my tale.” said Slynt in a somewhat confident tone.

Jon reflected on this new player for a moment before he regarded Slynt once again.

“You’re right about one thing.” Jon said. “This attack does look like the work of the men that work with one of the vigilantes.”

Janos breathed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes, seemingly believing that he would survive.

He was sorely mistaken as Jon spoke once again.

“Unfortunately for you, your tale has reached an end.”

“None who lay eyes on me before I complete my mission can be allowed to live.” He added before driving his blade into Slynt’s chest.

Jon watched as the darkness consumed Slynt’s soul and cut the ropes that were binding him, before loading his body into one of the abandoned boats left on the beach and pushing the body back out to sea.

The outgoing tide would take Slynt away to meet the Stranger, and his body would eventually be discovered in a very public fashion.

‘Time to check out that drop point’ Jon thought to himself.

‘Anyone who can make Baelish nervous may not be good news for this city’ he concluded as he prepared to scale the cliffs back to the Red Keep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daenerys finds her wings, but she soon finds that there are forces waiting to clip her wings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again.   
> I am back on this story after having a rethink about its path but I believe it will still be an exciting journey.  
> Hope you enjoy this chapter. I have a few more ready to upload over the next few days.

** DANY POV **

Daenerys was reflecting on the past weeks and the events that had occurred in the capital. The White Sparrow had become much more than she had ever imagined and now a different vibe was starting to take root in the city. The White Sparrow had given her a sense of purpose and allowed her to become an agent of much needed change for the smallfolk.  A wave of hope and positivity was starting to spread and people were embracing the help and protection that her group was providing. 

The White Sparrow had taken flight more than 2 weeks after the feast to celebrate Jon Snow’s reappearance and now her efforts were inspiring others to take a stand against the oppressive forces in the capital. It had become clear to her that other forces were moving behind the scenes and doing similar work to her Sparrows and she found herself grateful for the help.

For a long time Daenerys had been struggling to find a meaningful way to liberate the people from their state of oppression. The idea to craft a guise that could become a symbol of hope for the people had come to her when she realized that she and Missandei could only do so much from the shadows, and so the White Sparrow was born. 

She sought out the remnants of the Poor Fellows to recruit to her cause, believing that they would also have the best interests of the smallfolk at heart and appealed for their aid. They were hesitant to not only place their faith into another solitary figure, after what had happened to the High Sparrow, but also reluctant to follow a woman. 

In truth if anyone had told her years ago that a petite woman, clad in all white leathers and wearing a mask, would be someone that could intimidate much larger, hardened men into complying with their wishes then she would have thought that person to be crazy. In Daenerys’ experiences, too many times in the world women are disregarded as potential leaders and figures of power and Daenerys certainly had to work hard to bring the Poor Fellows to her side. 

Invoking the spirit of the High Sparrow and his teachings was not enough and on more than one occasion she had needed to use the skills acquired from Thoros, along with her customized cudgels and daggers, to persuade the more stubborn opposition to follow her lead. Some of these men that opposed her had simply wanted to take leadership of the group, even though they had done nothing but hide when the people needed help. She called them out for their hypocrisy and gave them a challenge – if they could unmask her then she would accept their leadership.

None were able to unmask her in the ensuing skirmishes and they all bore the bruises as proof of their folly. Reluctantly, once they realized that she was more than capable of handling her own, and that she had the brains to craft effective plans, she became the symbol and leader of the new organization – The Fellowship of Sparrows. 

Her Sparrows were readily embraced by the smallfolk once they had realized that they were there to help. In exchange for aid, the smallfolk were more than happy to provide the Sparrows with pieces of information. The smallfolk were aware of most of the things that occurred in their streets and some of the tips had proved to be very valuable to the Sparrows. The smallfolk felt empowered to finally speak up against the injustices that plagued their lives and the fear of reprisals from their oppressors was diminishing with each passing day. 

This arrangement of exchanging information for food and protection was cemented after she and her Sparrows had successfully fought off a group of thugs who had sought to harass some of the people on the outskirts of Flea Bottom. These thugs had been pretending to be investigating the crimes occurring in the capital and had claimed to be associated with the Gold Cloaks but that had turned out to be a farce. As a member of the Royal Family she was privy to certain pieces of information and she knew for a fact that the so-called investigators were frauds. She and some of her Sparrows personally educated this group of imposters on their folly and left them with some painful reminders to not repeat their misdeeds, while relieving them of their valuables at the same time.

To maintain her cover, Daenerys had employed a glamour, courtesy of Melisandre, to alter her facial features, hair and even her voice to ensure that her true identity remained concealed regardless of whatever situation she found herself in. Her famous silver locks and purple eyes had been transformed into a face with green eyes and black hair. This was an added measure to protect her and her family in the event that her mask would ever fall off in battle. The glamour itself could only be removed by herself or someone who shares her blood. 

Her information network had provided many valuable targets for her Sparrows. The wealth that they were able to acquire from the crooked merchants that sought to exploit the smallfolk was quickly put to good use. The smallfolk got the aid they needed and any who came looking to reclaim the resources for their greedy masters would be given less than gentle nudges of dissuasion. 

In her role as Princess, Daenerys learned that rumbles of discontent were growing amongst the nobility whose pockets were made lighter by the Sparrows, including her dear brother Viserys. He had gone on a rant about crimes against the Crown when his shipment of ruby encrusted belts and capes were taken on their way from the docks. He had argued that he couldn’t maintain his image as a Crown Prince if he couldn’t get the right accessories for his royal attire and had demanded that the Master of Coin, Lord Baelish, provide more funds for replacements to be bought. The King had denied the request much to Aegon’s amusement and Viserys’ outrage. Daenerys barely held back a chuckle as she recalled personally overseeing the exchange of those items for food, medicine and coins needed by the smallfolk. The puzzled look on her contact’s face when she told them the items were donated by the royal family was another fond memory that she recalled during the times that Viserys would rant about being a victim of a horrible crime.

Through her network she had also discovered that there was another major character seemingly trying to combat the injustices in the capital. That person was targeting brothels owned by Baelish and it seemed that between the Sparrows and this other character that the capital was getting a much needed cleansing. Daenerys made it a point to meet this new character at some point in the future and hopefully make an alliance, since it seemed that their efforts were leading towards the same objective. Regardless of the players that were staring to emerge, Daenerys could feel that the wheels of justice were turning faster than ever before and the future was indeed looking bright.

The resident thugs such as Karl Tanner were silenced, several reprehensible characters were removed from the board and the smallfolk were starting to get hopeful for better times. A huge boost to their efforts was received when Janos Slynt, the man behind most of the oppression in Flea Bottom was permanently silenced. Her Sparrows had not been responsible but after that discovery optimism reached an all-time high amongst the smallfolk. 

Whoever had gotten to Slynt had also left a trail of breadcrumbs pointing to his ill-gotten earnings and illegal use of City Watch resources to support his corrupt schemes. The Small Council was forced to acknowledge Slynt’s misdeeds and publicly promised to clean up the City Watch and restore the people’s faith in their leaders. For the first time in long time her brother, the King, had made a public appearance outside of the Red Keep and promised that the suffering of the smallfolk would soon be a thing of the past. The King publicly proclaimed that an Undertaking would soon commence that would change the lives of the smallfolk forever. The cheers from the smallfolk were loud and long.

While all of this had been going on, her personal outlook had also improved as well. She had finally met the mysterious Jon Snow, albeit due to his over enthusiastic direwolf. The large white wolf had almost bowled her over in one of the corridors as he was chasing Balerion – Rhaenys’ cat, who had strangely chosen to remain in the Red Keep instead of following its owner to Dragonstone. Jon was apologetic and begged her pardon, probably fearing that she was cut from the same cloth as Viserys and Aegon. She was a bit amused at this belief and made a decision to dissuade Jon from that line of thinking. She took the opportunity to draft Jon as her personal escort as she went about her day as compensation for her close encounter, much to the shock of the courtiers. Jon had appeared to be stunned at her request but agreed to accompany her along with Ghost, who had taken an instant liking to her.

She found that she really enjoyed their time together and that there was something comfortable and strangely familiar about Jon that made her want to spend more time with him. She had caught herself taking in his features more than once and was certain that he had caught her staring at his lips more than once, much to her embarrassment. As their day concluded, she promised herself that she would definitely be spending more time with Jon once she made more progress with her night-time activities. Activities she found herself hoping to replace in the near future with other sorts of activities involving a certain Jon Snow.

‘That would indeed be a welcome change of scenery.’ she mused to herself as she slipped once more into the secret tunnels of the Keep, on her way to meet with her Sparrows to take down another target.

She pushed thoughts of Jon out of her mind as she prepared herself for another mission. It had now been more than a month after Slynt was taken down and the City Watch was under new leadership. Several of Slynt’s lieutenants had also vanished without a trace and their posts had been filled by more honorable men, with Lord Stark assisting with the selection process at the insistence of the King. The City Watch were in transition and were already becoming more helpful towards the smallfolk but they were still largely ineffective against the true corrupt powers in the capital. That shortcoming was where her Sparrows would come into play.

On this particular night, they had a new target – a large shipment of goods that had been smuggled into the capital from the North. These goods were also rumored to even include people who would be sent to work in certain brothels. For Daenerys that was a situation that required immediate correcting. She recalled being told how Missandei’s brothers were taken from their home and sold into slavery and Missandei herself had only escaped that fate due to the intervention of a smuggler who rescued her and took her to safety in Braavos. Slavery was something that Daenerys had a personal issue with and vowed to do everything in her power, both as a Princess and as the White Sparrow to make sure that particular evil never took root in her homeland.

The building where the ‘goods’ were being stored was quickly located thanks the Sparrow’s information network and they made their move to surround the abandoned building and liberate the goods. In her mind, this should have been an easy mission but still her group exercised caution to avoid any mishaps. 

As Daenerys and her Sparrows approached the seemingly abandoned structure that held their target she felt a sense of apprehension building in her stomach for the first time since she became the White Sparrow. 

A feeling that only grew as the snarls and growls of an approaching pack of dogs reached her ears. There were no reports of wild dogs in this area but the sounds she was hearing now indicated that there was a definitely a few nearby. She suddenly realized that something was very wrong. 

‘This is not normal’ she thought to herself. ‘Those dogs sound like they are hunting something.’

As she drew her cudgels, the first set of screams from her men filled the air as the dogs set upon the Sparrows and then all hell broke loose.

‘Run’ was the last thing one of her men told her as arrows started to fly and pick them off while they were fighting off the dogs. 

Her men were dropping like dead birds shot out from the sky, all accompanied by the deranged laughter of a solitary figure that was walking out of the door of the supposedly abandoned building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter - Gendry is running through the streets again, but why?


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gendry finds himself running again and Dany wakes up to a nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lets get this ball rolling again.  
> Real life keeps killing the muse but the show must go on.

** GENDRY POV **

Gendry was running through the streets of Flea Bottom yet again. This time he wasn’t being chased but his scampering was just as crucial. He had been watching an abandoned building that was supposed to hold items smuggled in from the North when chaos erupted. 

He and Arya had agreed that while she took on another target associated with Littlefinger he would scope out the building and learn as much as could so that she could check it out later. Gendry had tried to back away from Arya’s schemes after his near death experience, but somehow he had found himself drawn in again and was even helping her as a sparring partner. His many bruises, courtesy of Arya’s exuberance, were a less than gentle reminder that he wasn’t in a position to tell her ‘no’.

Despite the prospect of pain and suffering at Arya’s hands, he had decided to keep the appearance of the mysterious dark figure that had saved him a secret. For him that had been a no-brainer, especially after the man had visited him at his lodgings and strongly suggested that his presence remain unknown to everyone else. The man had indicated that in order to combat the troubles plaguing the capital he needed to remain an unknown entity. Gendry agreed with that request wholeheartedly. 

‘How can I contact you if there is more trouble’ Gendry had asked the man. 

‘You won’t need to.’ The man who moved like a phantom and fought like a demon replied. 

‘I’ll find you.’ he added before disappearing into the shadows again.

Gendry found himself pondering that exchange as he raced through the streets towards his pre-arranged meeting point with Arya. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath when a voice from behind startled him.

“You seem to have found trouble again” stated a familiar gravelly voice.

“You could say that” Gendry replied, not even bothering to turn and face the voice. 

“The Sparrows just walked into a trap and I think that the trap may not even have been for them.”

“Given the noise that your partner has been making, it would certainly not be surprising that someone would lay a trap for the Waif.” the dark figure replied. 

“It was only a matter of time before someone tried take her down”

Before Gendry could ponder how the dark phantom knew that the Waif was a girl the man drew closer and continued speaking. 

“Someone has been spreading convenient tales about items being stored at an abandoned building and making it too obvious about their link to Littlefinger’s brothels. That would certainly make an attractive target for the Waif…This was indeed a trap made for her. It’s probably a good thing she is occupied on the Street of Silk tonight”

Gendry felt his eyes open wide at the fact this man knew where the Waif was and briefly wondered if the man knew the identity of the Waif. 

“How did you know that?” he stammered.

The masked man regarded him for a moment before responding.

“I have my ways, but it seems that the Sparrows may have gotten their wings clipped.” He stated as he circled Gendry.

“They say that if you see a white sparrow flying in the wild then it is a sign that you will have good fortunes. I should make sure that this white sparrow doesn’t find herself in a cage..” The man added before halting his movements.

“If you are going to continue helping the Waif, you need a better mask”

Gendry was puzzled as he felt the scarf covering his face was adequate. 

“A proper mask is not for your benefit. It is to protect the ones you care about”

The sounds of approaching footsteps distracted Gendry for a moment and he reflexively turned to face the noise. He held his breath, wondering if he had gotten followed like the last time. Time seemed to stand still as the footsteps grew closer and closer, but fortunately they moved past the alley that he was occupying.

As the footsteps started to move away he let out a quiet sigh of relief. He turned back towards the dark figure, intent on asking if he could provide any help but found once again that he was alone in a dark alley.

‘Perhaps that man is really a phantom’ he thought to himself as he began running again.

** Daenerys POV **

Daenerys had been out cold until a pain in her ribs woke her. Her mind struggled to make coherent thoughts as the pain continued to spread throughout her body but she eventually remembered why she was even feeling pain. 

She and her Sparrows had fallen into a trap and now she was in trouble. That thought brought her fully out of her daze.

As her eyes blinked open she realized that she was suspended off the floor by a rope that was binding her arms above her head. She realized that she was in a large room and that she was not alone. For a moment she wondered why she wasn’t dead but then she realized perhaps there was a worse fate in store for her. Her eyes struggled to adjust to the dim light in the room but she became aware that her mask was no longer on her face and as she looked down over herself she realized that the mask was not the only thing that had been taken from her. She was completely at the mercy of her captors. 

The sound of cutlery knocking against a plate caused her to whip her head around to find the source of the sound. That sudden move was a mistake as a sharp pain ran through her head and forced her to exhale sharply and close her eyes once again. She recalled that someone had struck her in the back of the head during the fight with her attackers. The carnage caused by savage dogs and the archers that were shooting her men came flashing back into her mind. Suddenly a voice with a distinct northern accent addressed her.

“Look who’s finally awake” the voice said with a slight note of amusement.

“I had feared my friend had hit you too hard and we would need to wait forever to hear a White Sparrow sing.”

Dany blinked a few times to focus her vision and she then realized that the voice belonged to a man who was sitting at a table off to the side. This man was having a meal as if their situation was completely normal for him and that gave Daenerys an uneasy feeling as the man twirled a knife in his hand. She also noted that all of her weapons and mask were on the table but she could see that her hair was still dark as it fell across her face and she was thankful for Melisandre’s glamor at that moment. She had been stripped down to her small-clothes, no doubt having been thoroughly searched for hidden weapons and possible clues to her identity. Daenerys suddenly felt very exposed in front of this strange man who was looking at her as if she was some new toy he had been gifted.

A chill ran down her spine as she concluded that she was in serious trouble and that all of her men were probably dead. The fact that she wasn’t dead meant her captors wanted something and she knew that she was probably going to be interrogated for it. 

A twisted smile grew on the man’s face as if he had heard her thoughts and the look in his eyes promised pain.

“When my benefactor asked me to come to King’s Landing and help resolve any issue, I didn’t expect that the issue would be so pleasant to look at” Her captor said as he rose from his table.

“After the example that was made of the High Sparrow, my benefactor was so sure that his troubles were over. It seems that he was wrong” he added while approaching her.

“What would a northerner know about the High Sparrow?” Daenerys asked, trying to figure out the man’s motivation.

“I know everything about that man” her captor said. “There is a saying in my house ‘a naked man holds few secrets, but a flayed man holds none’ and when I was done with him he sang like a bird”

“Why would you do that? He never hurt anyone.” She said while recalling the gruesome image that was painted when the High Sparrow’s body was found.

“I did it because I was paid to do it…I did it because it was fun.” The man added with a chuckle. 

“I was supposed to give you the same treatment but it would be such a shame to carve up your pretty skin” the man said as he brought his hand up to caress her face.

“We have another plan for you, one that will make up for the issues you have caused.” He said while pulling a syringe from his belt.

“There is a certain potion that can make a person spill their deepest secrets and make them want to do anything you ask” he said with mirth in his tone. 

“My former betrothed had developed a taste for it and she would do anything for me.” He said while raking his eyes over her body.

“Sadly our betrothal had to end after I realized that she ended up working in a brothel. A man must have some standards after all” he added with another smirk.

“I have nothing to reveal so your potion would be wasted on me” Daenerys replied. She was trying to distract the man as she tested her bindings.

“My benefactor believes that you do have valuable information and wants it desperately. By the time we are done you will reveal all your secrets and probably develop an affinity for brothels just like my former betrothed. I can tell that you would be very popular in one of the fine establishments on the Street of Silk”

Before she could reply, he jammed the needle into her arm and emptied the contents of the syringe into her veins. Dany protested and struggled but it was no use. Her captor laughed at her efforts and glanced over into a dark corner of the room.

“I’m sorry, did that hurt?” he said. “I promise you will feel better very soon”

Dany could feel her head getting fuzzy and her vision started to blur. Her mind drifted to her mother and for a moment, Jon. She would have preferred torture, she thought to herself, then she could keep her secrets regardless of her pain, but this potion that was in her blood now may not let her keep her secrets. She dug her nails into her palm to shock her system with some pain.

“Let’s start with something simple. What is your name?”

“I am no one” Dany said, trying to focus her mind.

Her captor sighed. “What is your name? Who is giving you information?”

Dany shook her head. She would hold out as long as she could. She tried to focus on the pain and allowed that to chase away the haze in her head. 

“I’m just a simple person trying to help others” she stated with some effort.

“I can see that you are trying to resist and I know that think that you are some sort of hero based on your outfit. You probably think that everything will work out in the end” her captor said. 

“But if you truly think this tale has a happy ending, then you really haven’t been paying attention!” he said as he moved towards her again.

“No-one knows you are here. Your men are gone. You are all alone, so just give me what I want!” he stated emphatically.

Again Dany shook her head in defiance.

“My men and I came a long way to take in the many wonderful sights in King’s Landing. We have seen many places in the capital, some of them very popular with the smallfolk.” The man stated with a grin.

“It would be a shame if the White Sparrow suddenly decided that some of these places needed to meet with a fiery end. The people will turn on your men and everything your Sparrows have built will be torn down.”

“Of course none of that violent action needs to happen if you co-operate” he concluded. 

Dany stared at the man in disbelief and said “Do what you wish. You’re knives and threats cannot kill an ideology. There will be others taking up the fight and you will be shown as much mercy as you have shown to others!”

The man looked off into the shadows again and nodded his head.

“It seems that we just need to kill some time until you are ready to tell me what I want to know. How about we play a game in the meantime?” The man said with the sadistic sneer back on his face as he pulled a small knife from his tunic.

“I am going to carve a sparrow on your back. I’ll bet that you are ready to talk by the time I am finished. What do you say fellas?” he asked to the room. Daenerys realized with a start that there were other men in the room watching the proceedings.

“Not a chance boss” one of the men said “I bet she sings before you finish”

“She’s not that tough” another voice said. “She won’t make it past the first cut”

“Challenge accepted boys. Let’s see who’s right” he said as he moved behind her. Dany heard the fabric being torn and felt the cool air on her skin as her back was exposed to the mercy of the man’s blade.

Dany felt the tip touch her skin and let out a small whimper. She braced for the pain and even as the potion that she had been given started to fully cloud her mind, she raised her chin defiantly and willed herself not to scream.

Before anyone else could say another word, the sound of breaking glass filled the air. Dany snapped her head towards the sound just in time to see a dark figure rise from a crouching position and begin loosing arrows on her captor’s men.

“What the fuck is that?” her captor asked as he withdrew his blade and stepped in front of her. He regarded the dark figure that was laying waste to his men and moved off to the side.

“Kill that fool!” he shouted to his men.

They were unable to comply as the dark figure ruthlessly took down all of her captor’s men, striking from inside the shadows with ruthless efficiency. The only screams that could be heard were the men as they were taken apart. Through her hazy vision all she could see was a a black blur moving around and striking from the shadows as if he and the shadows were a part of each other.

Her captor stood motionless as he regarded the carnage. All of her captor’s men eventually fell silent as the intruder retreated fully in to the shadows.

“Who are you?!” her captor shouted. 

“What do you want? You want the girl?”

Dany wondered for a moment if this new arrival was her savior or another player coming to stir up trouble. Even in her hazy mind she realized that the dark figure could have killed her already and yet she was still alive. 

This new arrival may not be an ally but for now they were not her enemy and as she regarded the panic creeping onto her captor’s face she realized that he had figured out the same thing she just had.

“I am sure we can make a deal. Let’s talk like civilized folk” he said. Dany saw that he had drawn a sword and was now hiding behind a crate to shield himself.

A cold, steely voice spoke from the dark.

“Ramsay Bolton, you are a long way from home” the voice said. Daenerys heard her captor gulp. 

“We should have a chat...A chat about your sins” the dark figure’s voice seemed to echo from all around her.

“You speak as if you know me. Can I have the courtesy of knowing your name?” the man known as Ramsay Bolton said.

“Dead men have no need to learn names” the cold voice said.

“It seems you have me at a disadvantage” Ramsay said as he crawled towards a door. 

“Allow me to introduce you to few friends of mine. They always make a great first impression and perhaps they can get a name from you.” Ramsay let out a whistle and pushed open a door.

As the door was opened, Daenerys heard the growls of dogs that would plague her future dreams, provided she made it through this ordeal alive.

In a flash the dogs ran into the darkness, snarling and snapping like they were possessed. Ramsay and Daenerys waited for the screams and sounds of someone getting mauled, but nothing happened. Suddenly the dogs stopped barking and snarling and there was complete silence. Both she and Ramsay were stunned. Then a soft whining was heard.

“I have met your friends. They are great girls and it actually seems that they prefer my company to yours.”

Ramsay started to visibly panic and looked around frantically for help. He dashed towards his table and grabbed a bottle of wine a lantern from off of his table. With one swift motion he broke bottle of wine in front of her and threw the torch into the spilled wine, before heading back towards the door that had allowed the dogs into the room. His actions meant to force the dark figure to make a choice, pursue him or save her. 

The flames burst to life as her captor made a mad dash for the open door. Daenerys felt a surge of panic was hover her as she realized that she was tied up and helpless, inside of a soon to be burning room. She raised her head and started tugging on her restraints. She was unable to bring herself to make a sound or put much strength into her efforts to free herself as the pain from her injuries and the effects of the potion had sapped her of her strength.

Suddenly the dark figure stepped through the fire and approached her. She saw the man draw a sword and for a moment she wondered if he was going to kill her. As her world faded to blackness, she felt herself falling to the floor.


End file.
